MARCH 4:35-41 (NLT)
(35) As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” (36) So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). (37) But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. (38) Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” (39) When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. (40) Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (41) The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
STORMS MAKE IT EASY TO FORGET YOUR HISTORY WITH JESUS
STORMS REVEAL THE POWER JESUS HAS OVER THE CHAOS IN YOUR LIFE
STORMS ARE OFTEN USED BY GOD TO GROW YOUR FAITH
ACTS 27:13-26 (NLT)
(13)When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed close to the shore of Crete. (14) But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (called a “northeaster”) burst across the island and blew us out to sea. (15) The sailors couldn’t turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale. (16) We sailed along the sheltered side of a small island named Cauda, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat being towed behind us. (17) Then the sailors bound ropes around the hull of the ship to strengthen it. They were afraid of being driven across to the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor to slow the ship and were driven before the wind. (18) The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo overboard. (19) The following day they even took some of the ship’s gear and threw it overboard. (20) The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone. (21) No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss. (22) But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. (23) For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, (24) and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ (25) So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. (26) But we will be shipwrecked on an island.”
IN EVERY STORM, YOU ARE PROMISED GOD’S PRESENCE
IN EVERY STORM, YOU ARE PROMISED GOD’S PURPOSE
Alpha has made an enormous impact on the people who have attended it, and on the Church as well. Most people have heard of Alpha, but few know what it is. Today we are going to DO Alpha!
“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be insane…or else he would be the devil of Hell, you must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God or else insane or something worse…but let’s not come up with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” - C.S. Lewis
PSALM 40:1-5, 9-17 (NLT)
(1) I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. (2) He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. (3) He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord. (4) Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord, who have no confidence in the proud or in those who worship idols. (5) O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them…9I have told all your people about your justice. I have not been afraid to speak out, as you, O Lord, well know. (10) I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart; I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of your unfailing love and faithfulness. (11) Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me. Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me. (12) For troubles surround me— too many to count! My sins pile up so high I can’t see my way out. They outnumber the hairs on my head. I have lost all courage. (13) Please, Lord, rescue me! Come quickly, Lord, and help me. (14) May those who try to destroy me be humiliated and put to shame. May those who take delight in my trouble be turned back in disgrace. (15) Let them be horrified by their shame, for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!” (16) But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!” (17) As for me, since I am poor and needy, let the Lord keep me in his thoughts. You are my helper and my savior. O my God, do not delay.
GOD IS GOOD AND HE HELPS ME
I HAVE TOLD OF GOD’S GOODNESS
GOD IS GOOD AND I STILL NEED HELP
LUKE 24:44-49 (NLT)
(44) Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (45) Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. (46) And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. (47) It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ (48) You are witnesses of all these things. (49) “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”
ACTS 1:1-3,8 (NLT)
(1) In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach (2) until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. (3) During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God…(8) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
BE A WITNESS
WITNESS TO WHAT YOU’VE WITNESSED
WITNESS WITH HIS POWER
WITNESS EVERYWHERE
Trusting in the resurrection of Christ gives you hope for the future & purpose for today.
1 CORINTHIANS 15:1-9 (NLT)
(1) Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. (2) It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. (3) I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. (4) He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. (5) He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. (6) After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. (7) Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. (8) Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. (9) For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.
TRUST THE RESURRECTION
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
PURPOSE FOR TODAY
LUKE 23:34 (NLT)
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”
LUKE 23:43 (NLT)
And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
JOHN 19:26-27 (NLT)
(26) When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” (27) And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.
MATTHEW 27:46 (NLT)
At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
JOHN 19:28 (NLT)
Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.”
JOHN 19:30 (NLT)
When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
LUKE 23:46 (NLT)
Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last.
“No tongue may tell nor heart fully think of the pains that our Savior suffered for us, considering the worth of the highest, most glorious king and the shameful, humiliating, painful death; for He who was highest and noblest was brought most low and utterly despised.”
MARY - THE MOTHER OF JESUS
JOHN - THE DISCIPLE JESUS LOVED
THE THIEF ON THE CROSS
MARK 15:16-25 (NLT)
(16) The soldiers took Jesus into the courtyard of the governor’s headquarters (called the Praetorium) and called out the entire regiment. (17) They dressed him in a purple robe, and they wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head. (18) Then they saluted him and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” (19) And they struck him on the head with a reed stick, spit on him, and dropped to their knees in mock worship. (20) When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified. (21) A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene, was coming in from the countryside just then, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. (Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.) (22) And they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). (23) They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it. (24) Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece. (25) It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.
"Sometimes we may wish that God would send us… a full explanation! But even though we cannot know all the particular reasons for our crosses, we can look at the cross and know God is working things out." – Timothy Keller
WHEN YOUR LIFE GETS CONSCRIPTED, JESUS REWRITES YOUR SONG
